From Burnt Ashes
by 12-29
Summary: Set in the Hunger Games - Mockingjay universe. Ruby is a rebel soldier and Weiss is a Capitol peacekeper who was captured. Both struggle with the implications of their situation, regarding family and each other.
1. Kakapo

Ruby's grip of the prisoner's collar was firm, harshly pushing her harshly against the cold concrete. Her white as snow hair was a mess, cascading over her shoulders and tangled.

"Go. Shoot me." The peacekeeper lifted herself, pressing her forehead into the barrel of the gun. The voice was demanding, giving force to the otherwise defenseless person.

"Fuck you." Ruby jammed the pistol against her head, pushing her head back down.

"What are you going to do then? Take me prisoner?"

Ruby's voice was vitriol. "I said. Fuck you."

Ruby got off the girl and flicked her pistol, motioning for her prisoner to flip around. Ruby withdrew a paracord from her pouch and used it to tie hands. The simple knot would have to suffice. Ruby kept the pistol on the girl's head while dragging her up by the collar. She passed by the bodies of her teammates, retreating back behind the line of control. She looked back feeling nauseous at how everything had gone wrong this mission. Ruby felt the bile as she stepped over a severed leg. She closed her eyes as her boots stepped in blood, crimson red across the entire street.

It was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance and instead it developed into a bloodbath. Ruby took the only other survivor by her collar and started dragging her forward, still holding the pistol to her temple.

The rebel encampment in the east was nothing short of pathetic. Soldiers lined for miles to get medical treatment. There weren't enough barracks to hold all of them, each had to share a bed and even then more covered the ground to sleep.

The other small rebel groups were designed to keep control of the borders and taking out hidden cells of peacekeepers. Ruby was sent here to keep up with the diminishing soldiers, trying to equalize between the number of people dying and the soldiers arriving.

Ruby marched in the first checkpoint, showing them her holo guide and identification. Weiss was forcibly pushed forward the entire time by the barrel of her pistol.

When one of the soldiers on guard noticed Weiss he radioed the commander telling her to come out.

Any rebel that was passing through had their eyes on Weiss, some cracked their knuckles while others simply stared, hate burning in their expressions.

Weiss simply ignored all of them, holding her chin up and in a straight posture. She was forced to sit down on a rusty chair. Ruby sat opposite her. She covered her face with her hands and gripped mounds of her hair. It felt like ages had passed before she looked back up. Weiss had been staring at her intently, no remorse, no sadness, no anger in those eyes.

Ruby held the temptation to land a good punch.

Instead she glanced behind. She caught the stretchers from a distance coming back from where she had just arrived from. All of them carried the bodies of her platoon. They were being carried to the makeshift graveyard by volunteer civilians.

Coming down the road was one of the rebel leaders. She marched at a furious rate, the similar irritable look that Ruby always seemed to notice.

She stopped in front of Weiss while the latter was refusing to make eye contact. Goodwitch circled the girl before addressing Ruby. "How did you find her?"

"She was defending the mercantile district with an entire company of Peacekeepers."

"I see," Goodwitch grimaced as she observed Weiss. "Do you know who this person is Ruby?" She took a silk handkerchief and cleaned her spectacles.

"Yes Ma'am."

"This is Weiss Schnee. Descendent of one of the founding families of Panem. I believe it was her great grandfather that rallied for the Hunger Games to start."

"It was one of my many great uncles actually. Who knows what my grandfathers were doing, just living their lives not in filth and disgrace like you all here."

Goodwitch gave a slap. The pale skin immediately turning hot red. The sound of it sounded like a whip cracking.

Her frigid eyes narrowed in slight pain. Weiss paid no attention to Goodwitch or anyone around, simply recovering from the slap as if the red imprint wasn't there.

"Take her to the old storage room." A couple soldiers grabbed the arms of Weiss and practically dragged her away.

Ruby opened the door, a loud creak echoing in the empty room. Weiss turned around glaring at her intruder who stopped mid step. Weiss had been in the middle of changing and she had no top on, her white bra was in clear view. Ruby could spot the smooth skin and slim torso.

The Capitol was known for their obsession with beauty. Weiss didn't miss a beat, unclipping her bra and tossing it on the pile. Ruby had her eyes locked on the pair of breasts while closing the door quickly behind her. Rude thoughts immediately penetrated Ruby's mind and she couldn't get over the idea of pulling the underwear down herself. She closed her eyes and mentally punched herself, far too much time had passed since she held intimacy.

"I suppose you people couldn't afford to spare me some undergarments." Weiss put her arms through a simple gray shirt flattening out the wrinkles afterward.

"I'll try and get you one of mine."

Her tone was cheerful, if not too sarcastic. "Thank you, I appreciate not having to wear the same pair of underwear for the next few days. I'd like to look good for the torture photos."

Weiss unbuckled the belt slipping out of her pants. Ruby turned her attention her legs, taking in the soft calves and looking up to see that she was wearing baby blue panties.

Weiss kicked them off with her feet and bent to pick up the matching gray pants. Ruby gazed as Weiss bent down, immediately Ruby felt dizzying heat fill her body. She should have looked away but her curiosity got the best of her.

Weiss turned around to notice that Ruby was shell shocked, hardly moving only gazing at her ass. Weiss had the idea of teasing Ruby but decided to simply put on the plain pants.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm supposed to take you to the interrogation room."

Weiss sighed, replacing annoyance with an all too fake smile. "Oh boy, I can't wait."

The small stroll was chilly. Ruby had no idea whether or not to lead Weiss by arm or to simply let her walk with her. She didn't have her pistol, only a small pocket knife hidden in an inner pocket of her uniform.

Goodwitch had taken residence in a small single box building. The building looked out of place stood alone in the fallow ground. It had previously served as a supply outpost before the revolution.

Ruby stood outside the door while Weiss walked in sitting at the open spot in the table adjacent to Goodwitch. From the prisoner's perspective it looked exactly as she pictured it. A lone dim light bulb hung from the ceiling and in the middle was a rusty metal table. The room was made out of some sort of wood. Watermarks made the thin walls look as if it had aged decades. The rain from last night made it smell like mold and fungus.

"Ms. Schnee, we've come to negotiate with you regarding your status in the war." Commander Goodwitch held a tablet in her hands with a stylus.

"Really? For what?" Her tone was nothing short of bored.

"Your life." Goodwitch's voice was irritated and stern swirled with the authority she was given at birth. She had the upright stature of being raised in the inner circle of District Two. She turned back against her family during the initial days of revolt and rallied support from the upper class.

Weiss on the other hand was casual and apathetic. "Sorry to say but that's not much right now."

"As an officer of Panem's military you have intelligence we desperately need. You tell us where the remaining Capitol interests are located and you'll be free to live as a citizen of the new Panem."

"'New' Panem huh? I'm assuming I have immunity for my crimes then?" Weiss was silent as Goodwitch gave a small nod. Weiss began tapping the point of her fingernail against the metal table. "Another condition."

The commander raised one of her eyebrows. She had wanted this to go as quickly as possible.

"That girl who captured me."

"Soldier Rose?"

"Is that her last name? Rose?" Weiss seemed interested for the first time. "Anyways, my condition is that she be my guardian for the remaining duration of the war. Wherever I go, she goes."

"Why?" Goodwitch was completely baffled by the request.

"Why not?"

Goodwitch tapped on her tablet opening a page, she spent a few minutes typing before handing the tablet to Weiss.

Sign at the bottom."

Weiss took the tablet in hand and read over the entire thing, she wasn't stupid, she was given the best education in the capitol. They weren't going to trick her anytime soon. After Weiss took five minutes to read over anything, she felt relieved and took the stylus and signed her name. The terms and conditions were simple enough, it was the classic quid pro quo relationship.

Weiss dropped the thin stylus on the table, creating the sharp noise as metal hit metal.. "I want a paper copy of this agreement immediately."

Ruby was daydreaming walking in on Weiss over and over again when the door opened and she sauntered out with Goodwitch. She stood up, quickly erasing her past thoughts.

"Soldier Rose," Goodwitch addressed her. "You will be in charge of Ms. Schnee until the war is over. First and foremost you will accompany her to the nineteenth block of the northern garrison tomorrow. There she will be aiding us in fishing out the rest of the Capitol peacekeepers."

Ruby took a moment to understand and looked at Weiss who happened to be smiling at the ground. "Yes Ma'am."

"Remember though, she is our prisoner, any move she makes against you or our cause is reason for an execution."

Weiss stopped grinning and finally met the silver eyes. There was no fear in her eyes just a dull angry look. Ruby kept her eyes pierced at Weiss while answering. "Yes Ma'am, I understand."


	2. Meadowlark

From the Dark Days, District Two was given privilege as the next great Capitol personal underling. More than that though was the fact that many of the northern parts of the area had been where the Capitol invested the most. They built new mansions and stronger walls. The people who settled the north had been from the Capitol itself to ensure that they always had direct power in the district.

Now the north of District Two was home to the latest generation of Capitol enthusiasts. It was the least bombed and the most preserved with most of the peacekeepers on the very outset of the city. After time the rebels over flooded the ill trained citizens that lived there but the Capitol was always there over watching with huge forces.

It flew in the elite of the Peacekeepers to protect their strongest economic interest. They had developed secret passages under the city and soon cells of Peacekeepers showed up inside, pushing back the rebels from the luxury citizens.

The rebels stationed at the north were on constant need of fresh bodies. The rebels had no idea which building the each side held and they only managed to make leads by busting in and flooding each house with soldiers, making casualties high.

Ruby and Weiss stepped off a hovercraft a kilometer away from their camp site. A bald soldier directed them from the air strip to the correct street to take. The sun had risen to overlook the two causing the asphalt to illuminate gold ahead of them. Ruby squinted at the intrusive blinding as the heat crept up her back.

Weiss lamented. "Why couldn't you be taller so I could rest in your shadow?"

Ruby grumbled loudly. "Cause of my fucking genetics bitch."

Two guards were stationed at the entrance to several buildings the rebels seized for themselves. Most of the surrounding plaza and residential rooms had been transformed into makeshift command posts and barracks.

Weiss reeled back at the stench in the air, as the looming piles of trash deteriorated away at the sides of the buildings. Soldiers had dumped all their cigarette buds into the ground making the smell of burnt garbage all the more intense.

The guard on the left approached. "Identification."

Ruby handed her plastic card and pushed Weiss with her. The same soldier grabbed Weiss' shoulder, pushing her back. She had straight black hair, her black uniform disheveled with what looked like black blood spattered across. Her gold color eyes contrasting boldly with her dark skin.

"Who are you?"

"Who? Me? I'm her bitch." Weiss nodded at Ruby who was turned red and began rubbing her temple.

"I need a real answer."

"I'm Weiss Schnee. You may have heard of my family name, I mean we killed hundreds of your children I don't think you wouldn't know me unless-"

The black haired soldier took a good look at Weiss before punching her in the stomach making the smaller girl keel over and gasp for some air.

"Hey! Get away!" Ruby ran in front of Weiss and held her arms to the side as if to protect her.

Blake looked at Ruby with disgust, a growl in her tone. "Why is she here?"

"She's my prisoner. And our intelligence that command wanted here." Ruby still had her arms up.

"Of course you would be the one to help her." Blake closed the space between her and Ruby, both glaring daggers into each other.

Silence echoed between the glares the two made.

Weiss saw a harsh hatred in Ruby's eyes. Nothing she had said made a difference in her composure but somehow some random soldier had changed Ruby's entire posture, twitching to tear at Blake.

The other guard broke the silence. "We don't need intel. We know that they're holed up in the bookshop and cafe over there."

"Do you know how many? Or what and how many weapons they have? Or if they have connection with the Capitol still? Do you know if they're able to call in for reinforcements?" Weiss spat out some saliva and stood up on wobbling legs, the blow still making her want to throw up.

"Cause I do, fuckers, and if you don't want to get torn to pieces by their land mines, you better listen to me." Weiss spewed venom, spit lingering out the side of her mouth.

"I won't listen to a goddamn thing you say." Blake took out a pistol from her holster and pointed it at Weiss' face.

Weiss howled out to everyone. "Oh my god, enough with the fucking pointing the guns at me! I get it!"

Ruby backed up and shielded Weiss from the gun. "I said she's mine."

"Soldier Belladonna." A senior commander had just exited the makeshift headquarters, which happened to be a hotel lobby.

The soldier quickly sheathed her pistol and stood at parade rest.

"Go and make sure the patrols coming from the quarry mines are accounted for."

"Yes sir."

The green haired commander took off his spectacles and observed Ruby and Weiss. He beckoned them to enter his office. Ruby had to jump over a rock that had planted itself in the middle of the broken doorway, massive other rocks jutting out of the floor from airborne bombs. The lobby itself had been cleaned up with a single potted plant in the corner decorating the floor. A dozen tables were littered with papers and people smoking while talking on microphones.

Someone came up while yelling at the guard. He gave a second to look at Ruby before handing her an envelope.

"Soldier Rose, we need to discuss where you'll staying and how long."

Ruby followed him inside the office while Weiss stood to admire the few paintings still hanging crooked on the wall.

The conversation was short, Ruby and Weiss would have a separate room for themselves. Unlike their former place, this current rebel base had a surplus of housing, being the former residential plaza for the district citizens.

The commander eyed the parchment from Goodwitch and approved, signing his name.

Ruby stepped outside, hoping to settle in with the other soldiers outside. The situation however had turned grim. An entire circle had surrounded Weiss while she was left alone. Someone else had their pistol to Weiss' throat, taunting her to make any motion. Another one landed a sharp slap against the side of her head. Ruby flung her bag to the floor and pulled out her rifle.

"Fuck off! All of you!" Frustration screaming out of her. She dragged Weiss out from the circle and stepped in front of her, shielding from the others.

"Alright assholes listen up, this is my Prisoner! And if anyone tries to hit her again, I'll put a bullet through your skull! Courtesy of Goodwitch!"

Ruby was huffing her little body and waving her SMG in the air. The scene made Weiss laugh as the several six foot muscular soldiers backed away from the small girl. They were all muttering with each other and glaring back at the pair.

Weiss chortled. "I love it when you show dominance."

"Shut up."

Ruby smacked her arm with the gun to motion her to keep walking to the small camp. A dozen soldiers were stationed. Some of them were smoking but most seemed to be craving caffeine since they there were used coffee filters all over the ground, wet coffee grounds covering the stone like ash. Ruby immediately went for a spare cup. She took a long drag of the drink and let out a blithe smile.

Weiss took control from the man in charge, she smoothed the paper map they had been given and pointed at the blocks were the remaining Capitol defenses rested. Weiss began explaining the layout of defenses regarding each post.

One of the peacekeeper squads had canisters of gas grenades, emitting a noxious poison that first paralyzes then slowly kills. Another had planted land mines all across the entrance of their garrison, creating a death trap for anyone going in or out so that there would be no desertion. The peacekeepers were in total war.

Goodwitch had provided a tablet in the sack she gave Weiss. Weiss used it to give them details that the paper couldn't.

"The entire south side of the boulevard was dug up and replanted with mines littering the whole place. About a week ago the Capitol realized they had lost the district. Now it's all a matter of how many people die with them."

"We have patrols seeking out the entire perimeter from here to here." He drew a line from the city park to the edge of the first gated mansion.

The blond soldier next to him added. "We have no real data beyond that point. We haven't held that position for more than a few hours and they have a health supply of mines and snipers maintaining the entire north east."

Weiss reached behind and casually snatched the coffee from Ruby's hand, giving herself a good gulp before handing it back to Ruby.

After a sigh Weiss asked the soldier. "Where do you have most of your forces located?"

"Right here. We haven't moved beyond this point because Command told us we don't have the knowhow to advance."

Weiss tapped her lips with her index finger, swiftly searching with her eyes for a solution. No one was willing to reach out and get blown up, but she knew for a fact from the last reports given to her that the Capitol had exaggerated the numbers in leaked documents to the rebels. Only a few dozen remained but even that was enough to give her caution.

Her vast information of Capitol culture came from literature and books. The ranks she achieved were gifts for her father to adorn to his friends. Weiss thought back to his dead eyes after he removed her from the Capitol. Weiss held back the bitterness in her shame, vowing to burn everything he held dear to the ground.

"We'll begin a small advance past these complexes and into the next block over. They won't have guarded this area since it's only a small abandoned post office remains. From there we'll try and detonate as many mines with whatever we can improvise."

A few nodded in agreement while others grimaced at the orders. Several murmured to complain about Weiss becoming the de facto leader yet no one spoke out, all glancing at Ruby, idly towering over Weiss' figure.

Ruby spoke. "It's settled. We'll go out and secure the place tomorrow and Weiss can be our mine detector."

Weiss grew nervous. "So I have to build something to detect them by tomorrow?" Weiss swore she saw a smug grin playing across Ruby's face.

"No we'll just have you go around and walk. I mean what's the worst that can happen?" Ruby hid her face in her arm to cover her laughter through a fake cough.

Weiss deadpanned back at Ruby. "We're not in fucking Kansas anymore."


End file.
